POULTRY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11149, 23 August 1899, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

Early morning cocktails.

For a first cross on common fowls, the Light Brnhmns have no superior.

An exchange says that chickens can be bought in Florida for four cents a piece.

For young ducks have the water in vessels deep enough that they may insert all of their head. It is necessary that they wash the feed from their nostrils.

Malay Dorking crosses aro good local market birds, and many a good dinner has been tho result of their progeny, although taking it for granted the Indian Game-Dork-ing cross may be a little more refined.

To make a good fountain for poultry, put a glass preserve jar of water, mouth down, upon a flower-pot saucer, Raise the .edge of this jar by placing a nail under it. I have found! (says a poultry-keeper) that my fowls in yards laid more eggs than those which had the range of the whole farm. I could never believo it until I kept actual aocount.

The fashionable pose at tho photographer's affected by the London beauties, is leaning against the jamb of a kitchen door feeding chickens. A London photographer's outfit requires as many properties and as much scenery as a modern theatre. It is a poor plan to doso the little chicks with black pepper; it is a good deal like giving a baby whisky sling so much in vogue a few years ago. As fast as they hatch and are ready to leave the nest, bring them into ft warm room, and when they get hungry they will oat as well as anything else. The eggs laid by exhibits at the Essendon show, four dozen or so, were collected and sent to the Melbourno Cliildren's Hospital. They were secured by the honorary secretary by plaoing a card " For the Children's Hospital" on them, and the Poultry and Dog Gazette states that after the card was up not an egg went astray. Large breeds of fowls, suoh as Brahmas or Langshans, should have perches placed very near the ground, or they may be allowed to roost directly upon the floor, which should be covered with straw or other litter. Wh.;n they are relegated to high roosts they are more liable to draughts or to being injured in getting off and on the roosts and to leg weakness. Over-feeding of poultry at any time should be guarded against; for these fat hens are sure to drop more or less soft-shelled eggs, and the exasperating habit of egg-eating'is brought on. A hen kept in good, medium condition will produce more eggs, live longer, and be a source of profit, whereas overfed she will stop laying and very likely become egg-bound, or other trouble set in, and die. Those residing near large cities or summer resorts will be able to receive in cash more for •their chickens of two or more pounds weight in the summer season than if kept and sold in the usual way late in the fall, at the same time saving all the care and food required for the intervening two or three months, as well as the danger of loss from accident and disease, which is no small item. T.J. wants to know if there is any way to determine _ whether eggs are fertile or not before _ giving them to the hen to sit upon. He tried the egg-tester, and was satisfied on this point oil the ninth or tenth day after his hens had begun to sit. But ho desires to learn some way whereby he can decide the question of fertility at the outset. Well, we know of no method, as yet discovered, whereby this can be done to a certainty; and it is very doubtful if this nice secret will ever bo made known.

There is language in the various sounds we hear in the poultry-yard. Observing persons who are familiar with poultry find no difficulty in translating this language so as to form a list of subjects about which cocks, hens, and chickens talk, including all the principal matters of interest to the birds or necessary to their comfort. Nature has given expression, and generations untold have continued to express joy, fear, hate, lovo of mates, love of young, satisfaction, sense of supremacy, warning of danger, etc., by the same sounds or combinations of sounds. The majority of the consumers of poultry do not know that the best table fowls are the ones with dark legs, with few exceptions. We would not give a Houdan for the table for two Plymouth Rocks, yet the latter has yellow legs, but the Plymouth Rock is mora easily raised, and therefore better in many ways. An Indian Game is worth two Brahmas 80 far as quality of flesh is concerned, but the Brahmas are better layers and hardier. The langshan, with its dark legs, is a hardy bird, fino for the table; the hens are excellent layers, and they are far ahead of some yellow-leg birds for the table. The Dorking has no yellow legs, and is worth three Coohins on the table, but the Cochin is a bird that lives where the Dorking will not thrive; hence, as one live Cochin is worth a dozen buried Dorkings, we prefer the Cochin, .